Chennai Metro Poonamallee to Vadapalani stretch delayed despite safety approval

The opening of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited’s (CMRL) Phase II stretch from Poonamallee to Porur and Vadapalani has been delayed by a month despite receiving final safety approval from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety. This delay has left local commuters without access to the transit system and is resulting in the wastage of crores of rupees of taxpayers' money on maintaining the unused stations.

Although the line is not yet open to the public, hundreds of staff members are actively maintaining the stations daily. The ongoing maintenance has been active since April, with electricity being consumed for air-conditioning systems in equipment rooms and lighting being switched on every evening to prevent the systems from falling into disarray.

According to sources, nearly 350 to 400 workers are currently employed to maintain the stations from Poonamallee to Porur, as well as the Vadapalani station. The maintenance contractor is expected to be paid several crore rupees soon for these services, despite the fact that the infrastructure remains unutilized by commuters.

Local residents have expressed frustration over the situation. R.K. Ravichandran, a resident of Iyyapanthangal, stated that taxpayers' money is being wasted and called for accountability. He noted that while authorities previously blamed construction delays, they have failed to open the line even after the stations were completed.

Another resident, G. Subramaniam from Poonamallee, highlighted the impact on daily travel times. He explained that commuting to Tiruvottiyur in north Chennai takes nearly an hour and a half by car, and he had been looking forward to the Metro launch to make his commute easier.

Sources within the metro rail project stated that the readiness of the Phase II stretch has already been communicated to the Central Government. All necessary details have been sent, and officials are expecting the official inauguration to take place soon.